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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1959)
Price 10 Cents Medford 30 PAGES MEDFORD, LAMP LIGHTERS As temperatures dipped to 25 degrees in the coldest orchards this morning, heating crews were out in force for the second straight night to protect hun dreds of acres of Rogue valley pears from being nipped by frost. Above, Monty Pen well puts a torch to a chimney-type burner while Pete Rasmussen waits so they can Orchard Heating General in Valley 2nd Time Today Orchard heating was gen eral in the Rogue valley this morning a s temperatures dropped to, 25 degrees, accord ing to Clifford B. Cordy, county horticulture agent. Orchardists lit heaters, about 1 a jn., he said. Many buds were probably killed in the colder and unheated or chards and many more may be killed tonight in . similar spots," he said." ' So far expectations f or . a ood near croo are good. Cor dy said. Currently, the bud set is good and pollinizing conditions are good, he ex plained. Anjous in the valley are in full bloom and the Bartletts are opening into bloom. - Warm afternoons are favor able for pollination and fruit set, Cordy said. In some cases where seeds have been killed by frost the trees are more apt to set fruit if they have had pollination, the county agent added. Conviction Upheld For Ashland Firm Sacramento (DPD A U. S. Court of Appeal has upheld a conviction against the Mag nolia Motor and Logging Co., Ashland, Ore., for theft of government logs and destruc tion and depredation of gov ernment land. Assistant U. S. Attorney Jo seph Bertain said Tuesday the appeals court in San Francis co upheld the two count con vicion and fines of $10,000 on each charge. The company was charged with cutting timber on the Klamath River in Humboldt County, Calif., under the gen eral larceny statutes which makes the crime a felony ra ther than a misdemeanor. Truman Considering UCLA Professorship Los Angeles - (UPD - Harry S. Truman said today he is "con sidering an offer" to take a temporary professorship at UCLA. ' Pear Festival Scheduled in The sixth annual Pear Blos som Festival parade is sched uled Saturday, April 11, at 2:30 p.m., and the second an nual Sportsfair at the Med ford armory will be held April 10, 11 and 12. . Eleven bands and marching units will be included in the parade which annually salutes the pear industry. Deadline for entries in the parade was noon today. Bands to Appear Bands that will appear in clude Medford, Rogue River, Phoenix, Crater, and Ashland High schools, and Hedrick and McLaughlin Junior High school bands as well as the Eagles Junior Drum and Bugle corp from Cave Man aerie, Grants Past. OREGON, WEDNESDAY, School Board Vote Scheduled The present members of the Medford school board will serve as the governing body of the new district formed through the consolidation ap proved by voters last Monday, it was explained today. Under state law, administra tion'of a consolidated district is handled by the staff of the largest district involved, in this case, Medford. " Dr. Leonard Mayfield, su perintendent of Medford schools, will be chief execu tive of the new district J Members of the board in clude Frank C. Bash, chair man, who has filed for reelec tion this year and is lin opposed.VWilliam Barker, Ed w a r d Branchf ield, Otto Ewaldsen, and Keith Hocker smith. Disregard Petition Although petitions may have been filed for school boards of the five districts which voted to consolidate with Medford Monday these will be disregarded. Next year the newly con solidated district may be di vided into seven zones with one school board member to be elected from each. These would be voted on by the en tire district, however. An amendment to this law, House Bill 40, now proposesto let each county school district re organization committee deter mine if such zoning is feasible. Other districts in the coun ty and their board candidates in the May 4 election are: A s h 1 a n d-Howard Wiley, now chairman, filed for new five-year term; Dave Fortmil ler, board member, filed for reelection to complete an un completed four - year term. (Former board member Dale Williams had moved out of town. Fortmiller was appoint ed to take his place but must be elected to that position dur ing the , next school board election). Central Point Central Point Wilton White has filed for reelection to fill the unexpired term of former board member Hal Bishop. Eagle Point Darrell Stan ley, present board chairman, has filed, for reelection for a five-year. term. . ' Parade, Sportsf air Are Medford This Week End The Central Point Junior High school band will present a program of music at Haw thorne park as part of the awards ceremonies; it was re ported. Also appearing on the program will be the Ashland Kilty band and the Highland dancers. The color guard for the pa rade will be furnished by Ore gon National Guard. Members of Medford Troop 8, Boy Scouts of America, will carry pear shaped pla cards denoting the various sec tions of the parade. First Effort The Sportsfair is the first concerted effort to combine resources of the southern Ore gon and northern California recreational facilities, '. sports 5 ' rd Year Tribune APRIL 8, 1959 No. 16 fM y ! make another pass through the orchard. Both attend Medford High school and were members of the Black Tornado football squad this year. Heating was general throughout the valley, with some orchards firing shortly after 1 a.m., according to County Extension Agent Clifford B. Cordy. for May 4 Talent Bruce Cyphers and Sam James have filed for the position to be vacated by Mrs P. J. (Nona) McAbee, board chairman. ' Prospect Frank Boothby, incumbent, has filed for re election to the five-year term Evans Valley J a m e s H. Martin, current chairman, has filed for a second term. Wil liam J, Johnston has filed for a five-year position. Rogue River Dr. C e d r i c Rambo and Dale Hatch have filed for the five-year position to be vacated by Carlton San- deen. Butte Falls-Ted Fredenburg and Charles Ferguson have filed for the five year term t4 be vacated by Earl Remsen, current board chairman. Phoenix Allen Harris is seeking reelection and is now board chairman. Also seeking that position is Dr. M. Donald McGeary Salary Schedules Discussed by Group Salary schedules for class room teachers in the Medford district were adjusted by the district budget committee last night, Dr. Leonard Mayfield, superintendent, said today. The new schedule' was recommended to correct in equities in the old schedule and to bring into line the Med ford salaries with those of dis tricts' of similar size in the state. The committee suggested increasing the starting salary for teachers with bachelors degrees $100 to $4,000. in creasing the starting wage for a teacher with five years ex perience $50 to $4,220, and increasing the beginning teacher with a master's degree $30 to $4,330. Maximum salaries recom mended are $6,000 in 10 years for teachers with bachelor's degrees, $6,420 in 11 years for teachers starting with five years of experience, and $6,730 in 12 years for teachers with masters' degrees. . The salary schedule will be part of the proposed budget, on which work has started, and will have to be approved by voters in the district. clubs - and sports equipment merchants, it was announced. Representatives of the Crater Lions club, which di rects the event,' reported that the combination has been planned to "stimulate interest in local facilities and products, bring about increased appeal to tourists, and offer to mer chants the chance to partici pate towards one mutual pur pose." Among the activities planned at the Sportsfair are a horse show, parachute jump, skin diving, and swimming exhibitions, helicopter rides, retriever demonstrations and trout fishing. More than 70 paid exhibits may be viewed during" the event at the armory. Otiiifiniie Ashland Packing House Destroyed By Fire Tuesday Damage Estimated At $28,000 Today Ashland -Wiley's Packing house and equipment in it were destroyed in a 21-hour fire here early last night. Ashland firemen late this morning said damage was esti mated at $28,000, including $5,000 worth of apples. The blaze, they said, apparently was caused by spontaneous combustion. Frank Tamney, 201 Girard dr., Medford, owner of the plant, said he closed the building, went to his pickup truck to go home and noticed smoke coming out from under the building. The packing house, he said, burst into flames when he opened the door to check further. Sorting, Grading Equipment In addition to the packing house, sorting and grading equipment, two cleat-type tractors, two spray rigs, two utility trailers and one fork lift were damaged or destroy ed. Tamney said ammonium nitrate fertilizer was stored under the building, and card board cartons inside the pack ing house. Ashland firemen said the blaze was so hot some pieces of equipment stored near the building could not be reached to be moved. The fire caused clouds of yellowish smoke, and the scent of sulfur drifted over a wide area, according to re ports. Firemen were called about 5:35 p.m., and the fire was brought under cqntrol about 8 o'clock. Firemen remained at the scene until after 9:30 p.m., and one man was on watch all night. One line was connected to the site as a standby measure this morn ing. Also damaged was a cold storage plant at one end of the packing house. Aluminum foil insulation between' the packing house and cold stor age unit was credited with saving the cold storage shed. The building and equip ment were insured, Tamney said. Insurance adjusters were scheduled to be at the scene this morning. Unemployment In County Said Down Sharply Unemployment in Jackson county decreased sharply last month as the seasonal upturn in employment made itself felt, according to John J. Pat ton, manager of the state un employment service office here. Unemployment in the coun ty as of March 31, he said, was estimated at 1,710, which is 18 per cent below Febru ary and 40 per cent below March, 1958. The greatly improved con ditions of the present season were brought out by the fact that unemployment compen sation claims were down to about 60 per cent of the num ber filed in March last year, Patton said. Job . openings were up about 50 per cent compared to March, 1958. Patton said there were some temporary layoffs, but it appeared that many of those out of work would be off only a short time. Labor Supply Adequate Presently the supply of un skilled and semi-skilled labor is adequate, and probably will remain so during the next 60 days, he said. Skilled labor in some occupations is already becoming scarce, Patton said. "Well qualified professional people are practically non- existant. This office is at pres ent trying to fill orders for medical records librarian, reg istered nurses and production engineers," he said. The labor pattern, he said, is a familiar one, but its early development this year is an indication of probably labor shortages later in the season. During recent months, the local office has given apti tude tests to Jackson county high school seniors who are not going to college. The stu dents will be seeking perman ent employment when school is out in June, Patton noted. Employers are invited to contact the employment ser vice office for specific infor mation about the source of new employees, he said. Portland - (DPD - David R. Gibney will become the new supervisor of the Willamette National Forest about May 1. as ire Union Official Sees Disaster Eventual Result Wage Increases, Shorter Week Asked Washington- (DPD - AFL-CIO President George Meany opened organized labor's big rally on unemployment today with a scathing attack on President Eisenhower's eco nomic policies. Meany, his remarks pre pared for delivery at the Na tional Guard Armory here, charged that the President's policies would prolong high level unemployment and even tually lead to disaster. Asks Increased Spending He called instead for higher wages, shorter work week, vastly increased spending on public works projects, bigger jobless benefits and stepped up defense spending. About 5,300 union officials and unemployed workers from virtually every one of the 137 AFL-CIO affiliated or ganizations were on hand for the mass conference on unem ployment in the bunting trimmed armory. Take Precautions The rally, designed to put pressure on Congress and the administration to take action to spur the economy', was guarded against possible infil tration by Communists and other outsiders. Meany attacked Congress as well as the administration in his speech. He termed the recent extension of unemploy ment benefits for three months as a "crumb to the starving. Leading Problem. The AFL-CIO president said unemployment was America's leading domestic problem de spite a government report showing the jobless rolls had dropped by 387,000 in March to 4,362,000, The number of jobs increased by more than one million to nearly 64 mil lion. ... Meany said Tuesday's re port on the job situation and accompanying optimistic statements from administra tion, officials were "well- staged propaganda." Slot Machines Are Taken from Hall Three 'slot machines were confiscated Tuesday after noon by Medford city police at the Carpenters hall, 123 West st. The hall was entered by po lice on a search warrant from district court, police said. The warrant was served on. George Potucek, business manager at the hall. The three slot machines were discovered in, a back room off the kitchen, reports show. They were taken to the courthouse by a city pickup truck and turned over to the sheriff. Potucek, who city police took to the district attorney's office, was later released, it was reported. Chicago - (UPD - Mayor Rich ard J. Daley rolled to a near record victory for reelection Tuesday night, garnering about 70 per cent of the vote to swamp former Republican Rep. Timothy Sheehan. "It's A Great Chance To Get In On The Ground Floor" leadftr of - Fir any laps Valley Men Join Search For Griffith Park Permit Los Angeles (DPI) Dennis Farrell, 32, the hermit of Grif fith Park who turned his back on civilization six years ago, was sought today by relatives offering him a home. But no trace of the de termined recluse has been found since Friday when he was flushed from, the city owned 4,200-acre park located almost in the middle of teem ing Los Angeles. Picked Up By Police Farrell, garbed in tattered clothes, bearded and very nervous, was picked up by police at the fringe of the park lined with - fashionable homes last week end when officers went to investigate a prowler report. He told police he served in World War II as an in fantryman and was wounded through the lungs on Okin awa. He recovered, but when he was returned to civilian PLANT TREES-Bill Ferris (right) manager of Memory Gardens Memorial park recent ly donated six Zelkova serrata trees to the city for the new Union street park; to addi tion to donating the trees Ferris als pro vided the digger being used above to plant one of the trees. Assisting with the planting are Reuel K. Rians Jr. (left) 1031 West 10th Three Persons Die Near Sprague River Klamath Falls (DPD Three young persons were killed and three others were injured to day in a one-car accident, southeast of Sprague River, state police reported. The dead were Norman Bar ney, 19, Chiloquin, the car's driver; Joseph Barkley, 18', Sprague River, and Geraldine Dexter, 19, Sprague River. State police said they, were riding in the front seat of the 1959 sedan and were killed instantly. Injured were Lewis Hur- tade Jr., 18, Sprague River; Freddie Arnold Woods, 17, Sprague River, and Evelyn Miller, 33, Bly. Hurtade and Woods were the more serious ly hurt. They were brought to Klamath Valley hospital here. Pre life, Farrell told police, he found he had changed. "At first I just wanted to die because I saw no future in ' anything," he said. "I thought I'd just go up there to Griffith Park and die - I just didn't see any future. Tried to Starve "I tried starving myself to death. The first time I went without food for three days, then again for 11 days. "But the hunger pains were too reat. I couldn't stand it any more." Farrell said that for the past six years he lived off the leavings of park picnickers, food found in garbage cans and what wild fruits and berries he could find in the rugged hills of Griffith Park at night. Detective Frank A. Fox, who helped arrest Farrell, said after much discussion police decided to allow Farrell to Plans Sought for Mew Swimming Pool The Medford Parks and Recreation commission Tues day evening recommended that necessary action be taken as soon as possible for drawing plans and specifications for the proposed swimming pool at the Jackson st. park site. The commission's recom mendations were submitted to City Manager Robert Duff who will present them at the next meeting of the city coun cil, April 16. The commission stated that the pool probably would not be completed for use during the entire season this year, but it could be opened later in the summer. It was stated that an ade quate pool could be built for the $75,000 available. The commission recommended that the program get under way as quickly as possible. Landscape Architect Members also recommend ed that a landscape architect be engaged to lay out compre hensive landscape plans for the park site, and that they be coordinated with the swim ming pool project. Ross Lumber company, on the recommendation of their forester, Dick Swan, donated 5,000 ponderosa pine trees for planting on selected sites in Prospect park on Roxy Ann. The trees are scheduled to ar rive this week end and will be planted as soon as a plant ing program can be inaugu rated. Representatives of South ern Oregon Conservation and Tree Farm association have agreed to provide profession al assistance with the planting project, it was stated, as well as other public forest agencies who will provide supervision. Skelton To Seek Attorney General Job Salem-(DPD-Rep. Keith Skel ton of Eugene said today he would seek the Democratic nomination for attorney gen eral at next year's May pri mary election. ee leimany; sitfent's Nicies return to the park. "It's no crime to live alone and avoid society," said Fox, "and he appears healthy and rational.!' Farrell returned to his lone ly life in the park surrounded by civilization, but news stories of his existence reached relatives in Oregon, and his home in North Platte, Neb. Relatives Join Hunt Lyle, Dennis' 35-year-old brother from North Platte, arrived here Monday along with two uncles, Ance Copley, 775 Queens dr., Medford, and A. R. Copley, Agate rd., Eagle Point. They went to the sprawling park in an effort to find Dennis Tuesday. Lyle described his brother as a normal youth who showed no signs of moodiness when he left home at 18 to join the Army. He was unable to un derstand his brother's choice of life, he said. st., and Leo Thomas, park superintendent. A meeting is scheduled this evening' of all neighborhood volunteers to plan Saturday's work, it was reported. The park, completely a neighborhood project, will include tables, fireplaces, and paths, which will be done by area residents. i Arrangemens- are now un der way with other lumber interests - to secure planting tools for the project. The sub committee on Prescott park will be in charge of the pro gram. It was announced that they had secured the services of several local Boy Scout troops to assist in the plant ing. Ponderosa pine was one of several varieties recommend ed for planting in this area. Oil Coat It was announced that the county had agreed to spread a light oil coat on the Roxy Ann road prior to the tourist season to stop some of the dust and that the city could continue their regular main tenance in the area, especial ly the control of poison oak. It was reported that they would also place signs at the entrance of the park drawing attention to the fact that shooting in the park area is prohibited. Local organizations who have expressed interest in va rious beautification projects at the park may contact Glen Linn, chairman of the sub committee, Eugene Garner, or Verl Walker. A report was given by Mrs. O. E. Eden on the Union st. park project. Repeal of Prohibition Voted in Oklahoma Oklahoma City -DPD- Okla homa's sudden thirst for legal liquor after 51 years of prohi bition will have to wait three more months b'efore it is quenched, despite a record re peal vote. Repeal carried by more than 80,000 votes Tuesday, ending prohibition that went into the constitution when Oklahoma became a state in 1907. It left Mississippi the only legally dry state in the Union. Presidential Powers Declared Under-Estimated Flexible' Attitude For Allies Seen i Bonn, Germany-(DPD -Chancellor K o n r a d Adenauer served notice today he intends to continue leadership of Free Germany if elected to the figurehead post of president Adenauer told the nation barely 24 hours after his de cision to retire from the chanr cellorship that the president's powers are "much greater than one usually believes." He said he decided to seek election to the presidency "to insure the continuity of our policies for many years." He added that the presi dency's "rights and duties" were underrated both here and abroad. The 83-year-old chancellor. in a move that surprised Ger many and the world, an nounced Tuesday he was leav ing office to accept the Christ ian Democratic Union's nomin ation for federal president. He is expected to remain in office as a lame duck leader until he takes over the large ly symbolic job of president on Sept. 12. His election was assured because of his strength in the Federal Assembly which meets in West Berlin July 1. Western reaction was swift. Washington and London be lieved his stepping down would enable the Allies to take a more flexible attitude in the forthcoming East-West talks on Berlin and Germany. French President Charles de Gaulle was so surprised and dismayed he called a special cabinet meeting today al though he is suffering from the flu. There was some fear the Western position may be weakened. Moscow did not react of ficially but the feeling there was sure to be one of joy. The Soviet has regarded Adenauer as its No. 1 Public Enemy and government officials have called the religious Adenauer a man with a cross in one hand and an atomic bomb in the other. There still was no certainty as to who would succeed Ad enauer. Until recently Eco nomics Minister Ludwig Er hard, 62, the man who per formed an economic miracle by restoring war-torn Ger many to prosperity, was con sidered the most likely choice. But he has argued recently with Adenauer. This brought up the name of Finance Min ister Frantz Etzel, 56, or De fense Chief and Rearmament Pioneer Franz Josef Strauss, 43. There also might be a com promise dark horse. Indecent Material Indictments Dropped Eugene -(UPD Circuit Judge Frank B. Reid today dismissed eight indictments which had charged violation of Oregon's obscene literature statute. The indictments were re turned by a grand jury last spring, ihe dismissals came on motion of District Attorney William Frye in the wake of a ruling by Circuit Judge A. T. Goodwin that the Oregon statute was unconstitutional. WEATHER FORECAST: Clear tonight and Thursday. Slightly warmer. Air port low tonight 34. High Thursday 80. ' Temp. Highest Yesterday L IS Lowest this Morning ' 30 Our Stces Tonight Sunset today ' 6:45 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow 5:42 a.m. Moonset today 7:32 p.m. First Quarter . April 15 PROMINENT STARS Reculus. hirh n -south 9:08 p.m. Betelgeuse, low in west 10:21 -p.m. The Big Dipper, well up in the northwest at sunset, will be in the northwest after midnight. Bootleggers, who grossed up to $100 million a year as an industry, started looking for another livelihood. It was the first repeal elec tion the wets have won in seven tries. But the prohibition laws will remain in force for the three months estimated for putting the new laws into the books. State Safety Commis sioner Joe Cannon declined to comment on how hard he would enforce prohibition during that time.
